Chicory plant height

For common chicory (Cichorium intybus), height is a significant indicator when describing biological features and conducting tests for distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS). Measurements are taken from the soil surface to the top of the inflorescence or the point of attachment of the flower head, using visual assessment methods or direct measurement of individual plants.

During the first year of vegetation, development is limited to the leaf rosette, while in the second year, a flowering stem up to 150 cm tall is formed. Stem growth in the first year of life is an undesirable trait, as the transition to the generative phase leads to the depletion of inulin reserves in the root crop, which reduces raw material quality when grown for industrial purposes.